Chapter 29
29
Asher
“Why the fuck are you asking me that?” My brother’s voice snapped in my ear.
“Because I’ve got a problem, Brother.”
Liam scoffed.
“I wouldn’t call if it wasn’t serious.”
“Yeah, you got a serious fucking problem if you’re starting with that, Brother. I don’t hear from you for years and now you drop this shit?”
“Liam, they have my woman’s father. I’ve got less than forty-eight hours. Whatever beef we have needs to settle.”
“Explain. Fast,” Liam snapped.
It took a bit for me to give my brother the details. I left out all the parts that turned my stomach, knowing the hell her life had been with this Diesel fuck. How he’d mistreated her. Abused her. Killed people because of her, and, by the end, his obsession with her over the last four years rotting in prison only gave him time to plan his retaliation.
“I remember Syla. Cute kid. Fuck, Brother. This is going to lead to war.”
“I don’t need war. I just need to know what I’m walking into.” Sienna flew off the couch, dropping to the ground in front of me, pleading.
“Diesel is a psychopath, Ash,” Liam said. “It won’t end well.”
“He has her family. In turn, it’s MY fucking family. Just tell me what I need to know. Fuck!” I was so pissed, I’d yanked some of my own hair out.
Sienna got up from the floor and hurried off to our bedroom. I heard the dresser drawer slide open. I chased after her, catching her stuff some clothing in a backpack. I grabbed her upper arm, stopping her. “Don’t you fucking dare.”
“This isn’t your fight!” she yelled at me.
“The fuck it isn’t! If you think I’m letting you out of my sight for one fucking minute you’re out of your God-damned mind!”
“Ash,” Liam yelled through the phone. “You two sit for a few minutes. You have no idea what you’re dealing with. I’ll call you back.”
The call clicked off, making me stare at my screen. I shoved it in my pocket and pulled Sienna into my chest. “Easy, baby. I love you. There is no way you’re going anywhere without me.”
Sienna’s hands clawed into my back. “He’ll kill you too. I can’t… I won’t let that happen.”
I crushed her head into my chest. “You think I’d let anyone hurt you? I don’t know this asshole, but I sure as shit know that he has no idea what I am capable of.” I cupped her face in my hands, staring into the face of the woman I loved. My future wife. The future mother of my children. “He’s not the only one capable of violence. I’ll kill every one of those fuckers with my bare hands. Where is he?”
“I have forty-eight hours to get to Phoenix.”
“We’re gonna need tickets.”
Sienna nodded, dropping more tears down her face. I kissed one away. “Don’t worry, baby. No matter what happens, we’ll get through it.”
She peeled out of my arms and wiped her face. I followed her into the spare bedroom which had been morphed into an office we were both sharing. She opened up her computer.
My phone rang in my pocket, Liam’s name on the screen. “Yeah.”
“How soon can you get to Phoenix?”
Sienna had the listings on the screen. She pointed to one. “There’s a flight out of Nashville tonight at eight-thirty. Puts us in Phoenix around ten-thirty local time.”
“Text me the flight info. A big fucker named Clutch will meet you there. He’ll be wearing a Hell’s Guardians cut. Trust him. He’ll have a ride waiting. I’ll meet you where he’s taking you.”
“I’m gonna need fire power.”
Sienna’s eyes grew wide. I squeezed her shoulder.
“Brother, you’ll have all you need. Pack your party clothes. We go dark. Later.”
I took in a deep breath. Just like that, two decades of hate washed away.
I fired off a text to Cap.
Have a family emergency. Flying to AZ. Need a week of vacation.
It was time to go kill people again.
Sienna had a death grip on my hand as the plane taxied up to the gate.
We were headed into unknown hostile territory with no plan. No fucking weapons either. The thought of me hand-delivering the love of my life to some psychopath had me on high alert.
My phone pinged as soon as I turned it back on. A text from my brother filled the screen.
Change of plans
Exit terminal
Get in taxi with 4 on it
Tell driver you want to go to Starlight Hotel
At the desk, room booked for Marshall
Tiffany will give you a key
Follow instructions
Trust
Watch your 6 10-4
I showed my screen to Sienna. The concern in her eyes went beyond scared.
“Liam said ‘trust’ which means trust.” I squeezed my phone hard and then typed “10-4” and hit send. Fucking message received, Brother.
“Who’s Marshall?” Sienna asked.
I took a deep breath. “Jillian’s last name.”
“Jesus,” Sienna whispered out.
We grabbed our bags from the overhead compartment and walked through the terminal, looking for the exit where taxis would be. The Arizona heat hit us like a punch to the lungs as soon as we left the air-conditioned building. Even this late in October, the weather still sweltered.
Sienna rocked in her shoes from hitting that temperature change but kept on walking.
“There.” She nodded in the direction of the one with number four on it. It turned on its lights and pulled right out in the middle.
“Need a ride to the Starlight Hotel,” I said to the driver, who did not look anything like a taxi driver, with a long beard and road-worn eyes.
“Hop in,” he said, glancing around us.
Sienna’s hand clenched mine as we left the terminal, headed for the highway.
“You guys okay?” The big fucker asked.
Far from it but I said “yeah” anyway.
“Zip called,” the guy said while checking his rear view. “Understand your sitch. We got you.”
Sienna leaned into my arm. “Who’s Zip?” she whispered.
“My brother. It’s his club name.”
Her hand strangled around mine. “What club?”
I put my lips next to her ear. “Hell’s Guardians.”
Her eyes went wide. “They…” She pulled my head close to her mouth. “They are a rival of the Double D’s. Diesel hates them.”
I smiled for the first time since this all started. “Good.”
Another twenty minutes, we were pulling up to a Holiday Inn Express. The guy drove us right up to the door and stopped.
“Front desk is that way.” He pointed. “Eyes on swivel, Brother.”
Fucking Liam. I grabbed Sienna’s hand, using my body as a shield to get her into the lobby. At the front desk, a young blonde woman smiled at us. Tiffany was on her name tag.
“Got a room booked for Marshall,” I said to her, cursing my brother in my head.
Tiffany just smiled while doing something with the computer screen.
No credit card. No I.D. She just stuffed a plastic key card in a hotel folder and smiled. “The directions to your room are inside. You’ll need to go down that hallway there to find the amenities, like our indoor swimming pool. Have a pleasant stay.”
I headed for the hallway where she’d pointed. We were definitely not staying here. As soon as we were around the corner, I opened the folder.
Use the key to enter the pool area. Your ride is waiting outside.
I followed the signs on the wall for the pool, smelling the chlorine in the air. I pulled Sienna with me down the hallway.
“Ash, what’s going on?” she whispered.
“Not sure, baby. This way.” I turned the corner, finding the door to the pool. I swiped the card and pushed the door, getting hit with the blast of chemical humidity. Some kids were in the pool, splashing around. Two older folks just gave us a weird look as we went through the door leading to the outdoor swimming pool.
A black van sat idling on the other side of the fence.
“I think that’s our ride, babe.”
Soon as we hit the road, the van door slid open and another big bastard wearing leather stepped out. I caught the Hell’s Guardians rocker on the back of his cut.
“Hop in. Sit down,” he ordered as he scanned the area.
I helped Sienna step up and we sat our asses in the back. The door slammed and we were on the move, another older guy already behind the wheel.
“Hold on back there,” the driver said as he slowly drove us out of the parking lot. We made a few turns and then we started picking up speed.
“Anything?” the big guy in the back with us asked the driver.
“Looks clear,” the driver answered.
The guy in the back nodded at me and then held out a hand. “Name’s Clutch. That’s Grumpy. Welcome to Arizona.”
I shook his hand. “Ash. My woman, Sienna.”
The guy just nodded at her. “Had to make sure you weren’t followed. Need to keep the club clear. You follow?”
I nodded. Bikers had their own code. In military terms, they’d just exfiltrated us.
Forty minutes later, we pulled into the bay of a huge garage, the hum of the door closing down behind us echoed loudly. My feet hit a concrete floor while my eyes scanned the garage for danger. It was clean. Orderly. On the back wall, “McAllister Motors” was painted by someone with serious artistic skills.
“This way,” Clutch said, ushering us to follow him.
I took Sienna’s hand as we walked around a few vehicles and numerous motorcycles, giving her a reassuring squeeze. It was clear that this wasn’t just a repair shop. Two amazing motorcycles were sitting up on lifts, all tricked out with chrome and paint.
We walked through another door into what kind of looked like a bar, with a pool table, couches, and lots of memorabilia all over the walls. Another humungous McAllister mural was painted on the wall. An open set of wood stairs led up to the second floor.
“Have a seat.” Clutch pointed at the couches as he headed for the stairs.
“I have to call Diesel!” Sienna pleaded out loud. “I was ordered to call him as soon as I landed.” She started pulling her phone out. “Please. I don’t want him to hurt my dad. He’s already stabbed him.”
Clutch turned around and stopped in front of us. Instincts had me pulling her behind me. Clutch caught that, gave me a warning nod, and then addressed my woman. “You tell him what flight number?”
Sienna fumbled with her phone. “No. I was just supposed to call.”
“Put the phone away. He calls you, you tell me. Until that happens, you wait.” Then he turned that glare on me. “Take her phone away. No fuck-ups until we plan. We clear?”
I nodded as I shoved her phone in my pocket.
“You serve?” he asked me.
“Ranger. Eleven years. Private contract for two. Split my time on Nashville F.D. and private range instructor now.”
“Marine sniper. Sixteen. Took a hit. Put me out of commission for a bit.” He gave me a nod and shook my hand. “This is going to be fun. Those fuckers will never see us coming.”
“I take it you have hardware. Left my toys at home.”
Clutch smiled. I’d seen that smile in my own mirror a time or two. Yeah, he had an assortment. He pat my arm. “Sit tight. Weasel just went to pick up your brother. Bathrooms over there and the women are gathering food.”
“Clutch?” Sienna called him as he started walking off. “Thank you.”
It was close to midnight when people started showing up. First on bikes and then another van filled the last bay. I honestly had no clue why all of these men were gathering, but by the numbers they had, Sienna would get her Army.
I braced as Liam came through the door; the anticipation of how this might go making me uneasy. It had been years since we’d been in the same room and now that tension was walking straight at me.
He’d kept his hair short too, same light brown as mine. Beard was the same. Tight. Trim. The glaring difference between us was I was missing the leather vest they all called a “cut.” Beyond that, there was no doubt we were brothers.
We were never one for hugs, so this reunion was more like a face-off of two men with serious rage issues.
“Thanks for coming,” I said to him.
Liam held out a hand, us clasping forearms like we did when we were kids. “Even now. Clear?”
I gave him a nod. “Clean slate.”
A gorgeous blonde came through the doorway, another big fucker right behind her. Both were carrying boxes. They set their shit on the bar, the woman making a straight line for Sienna.
She gave me a nod as she passed by and wrapped Sienna in her arms. “Oh, honey. Don’t be sad. The Calvary is here. My name is Baylee. Hunter over there is my man. We got you, sweetheart.”
It killed me watching Sienna fall apart, but it also felt good seeing another woman comforting her. Girls were better at that shit.
Big motherfuckers just kept filling the room, all wearing Hell’s Guardians cuts. I wasn’t wise to the entire MC lifestyle, but they sure as fuck rallied when shit was going down. As much as I hated this Diesel punk, I could see why Sienna had been sucked in.
Liam introduced me to them, and as each one gave me a nod or pat of encouragement, I understood why my brother was one of them. They were all family in their own way.
Hearing them all call him Zip was something I had to get used to. But it was who he was to them, just like I’d been Hayes to my men—men you lay your own life down for.
A few other women showed up and soon they had all gathered around Sienna, coating her with their love.
I followed the men upstairs, through an ornate set of wooden double doors. Inside was a huge table with their MC logo burned into the wood.
The men all took their seats with the guy named Hunter sitting at the head of the table. My brother closed the doors behind us and then came to stand at my side.
“Thanks for gathering on short notice,” Liam started. “This is my brother, Ash. Twins”—he motioned between us—“woman downstairs is his old lady, named Sienna. She used to be Diesel’s a few years ago.”
“He put a bullet through her,” I continued, tapping my right shoulder. “When she tried to leave. Used to use his fists on her first.” I took a deep breath, staving off the rage building inside me. “Spent ten years as an Army Ranger. Well acquainted with killing stupid fucks. Have no qualms doing it again.”
My brother drew in a sharp breath. “I know this isn’t your problem, so you have to know what you’re wading into. My intel says Diesel was released from prison a week ago. Did four for the bullet. DEA was on him. Witnessed the shooting. Still, judge gave him a tap instead of making that charge hurt. Now he’s kidnapped Sienna’s dad. He’s taking that hurt right now. My other source doesn’t think he has tabled this vendetta, so if he’s got help, it’s a select few. Prospects probably. Most of the Double D’s here are older.”
“They’ve been moving coke through the rez,” Hunter said. “Tribal elders are not too happy as it’s adding to their problems.”
“They’re trying to grow their numbers,” Clutch added. “Word is they are trying to take over White Rail’s turf. Several girls have been taken off the rez too.”
That detail did not land well on Hunter.
“Diesel is Cardwell’s son. Retaliation on him would bring retaliation from the whole club.” This detail came from a man I’d met named Tank.
“This mission has lots of angles,” Liam announced. “I don’t expect the Arizona chapter to take it on. Wyoming has no beef, so I’m hanging in the wind here. You decide it’s not something you want to take on, then all I ask is for intel support and hardware. My brother and I will take it on. You decide to wade in, you have my marker. Menace is eyeing a move. I’m considering that as well.”
Hunter nodded at him. Liam jerked his chin and headed for the double doors. I followed. Once the doors were closed, he sat on the long bench along the wall. I took a seat next to him, feeling the weight of the day crash hard on me.
“What happens now?” I asked him.
“They vote,” he said. “We wait.”
I leaned up on my knees, fucking exhausted. “I’m going after this fucker, with or without them. But the more I learn, the more I know I can’t go into this blind.” I rubbed my head. “I love her, Liam.”
“Zip,” he muttered. “I can see that.”
“Her mom died, few years after ours.”
He turned to look at me. “Mrs. Tatum?”
“Yeah.” I nodded.
“Fuck. She was always sweet. She used to bake them fucking awesome apple pies.”
I cracked my knuckles. “Bought apples this morning, not the store kind either. The orchard kind. She was gonna make me a pie tonight. Instead…” I spread my hands out.
He let out a curse and leaned up on his knees too. “She’s gorgeous, Brother. I see the appeal. She bakes pies like her momma used to, beyond a bonus. You wife that.”
“Planning to. Just need to survive first.”
He clapped me on the shoulder. “That day comes, I’m on my bike to Nashville.”
Enough said. Jillian didn’t matter anymore. It was time to bury that ghost.
The doors opened and Tank ushered us back to hear our fate. One way or another, tomorrow I was going hunting.
With them or without them.